Chapter 10: Strange Incidents

I do not own Soul Eater.
Although I wish I did.

Read.
As simple as that. =P

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ Somewhere

"You."

This is bad.
You were never like this.
Or is this an illusion?

The shape of madness.
I see it.
I see it in you.

I never fall.
But you.

You had enough already.

I don't know how to help.

"Wooolf, wolves… wooolf, wolves…"

.

Illusion! Illusion! Illusion…

This is not real. Not real!

The Kishin is dead. I'm just imagining!

Illusion! Illusion… Illusion…

What is happening to me?
Why is it pitch black?
No… There are blurred lines in front of me.

It's not pitch black.
Free… If this is your doing!

The blurred lines in front of me shake like an old film.

I'm scared…

Then everything was suddenly white.
What is happening?
I…

Really want to cry.

Everything turned black again.

Free… I'm never going to forgive you!

I curl like a little baby.
In that place.
I'm confined by space.

Free… Is this your spatial magic?

Everything was white again.
Then black…

White.
Black.
White.
Black.

No matter where I turned around…
I hate these two colors.

Plus the blurred lines.
Somebody help me…
My lips shake nervously.

Black.
White…

With a little black.

AH! SOMEBODY HELP ME!

Gekoooo!
Why can't I draw out tadpole Jackson?!
My pets!

Somebody help me!

Why can't I even flail?

It's the eyes of the Kishin!

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ Ruins of Arachnophobia

"Maka… Do we know where we are going to search?"

Maka looked around, her mind having glimpses on events.
She swore to herself that she was imagining things.

Baba Yaga Castle.

What kind of a name was that for a majestic type of building?

Arachne.

She felt some connection.
But she had never seen and had never known the witch until moments ago.

The competition for Brew.

What is a Brew?
She had brewed some juice but Brew seemed to be a big figure.

The sound of a piano made by the fingers of –

"Maka."
Crona's voice broke her trail of thoughts.

"Ughh… Wh-what is it? Is Ragnarok bugging you?"
"Maka… I was asking if we know where to search," he muttered.

"No… But it's easy to see the culprit, right? This is an open place."
"I hate open places…" Crona scratched a shoulder. "It's kinda hot this time of the day."

"Crona, if you continue complaining…"
Crona fidgeted at Maka's stern look.
"I… I'm sorry."

"No! I wasn't threatening you," Maka said, realizing Crona's misinterpretation.
She transformed herself to two sickle-shaped fans?

Crona caught her two forms carefully on the handle.
"Maka… How come you are two weapons?"
"It's just an ability… I think."

"So, what are these for?"
"Use the other side. Wave me like a normal fan."

"Ah…"
Crona shook a fan beside her face, leaving one in defense if things happen suddenly.
He smiled at the comfortable air he was receiving.

"There. It's better, isn't it?" Maka asked.
"Yeah~ Thank you, Maka."
Crona's face colored a little.

"Now, we're going to face our problem," Maka stated.
Crona nodded. "But how are we going to search?"

"Just walk around," Maka suggested.
And walk they did.

"But Maka… I think this gives us another problem…"
"What could it be?"
"If we are spotted first by the enemy… There's no place to hide."

"We'll fight, Crona!"
Inside her weapon form, she raised a fist.
"But as best as possible… Stein-hakase told us seeing is enough, right?"

"Try not to be too serious about the outcome."
"I can't help it… I had grown with Medusa-sama that way…"

"Oh." Maka came to a silence.
Crona followed.
Fortunately, Ragnarok wasn't active at all.

But sometimes, silence was just unnerving.
"Let's talk about other things, Crona."
"Other things? I don't know if I could handle some more…"

"Don't worry, it wouldn't be a problem."

"Indeed."

The two of them looked around.

"Talk about your death wishes, please."

.

Free ran after Eruka even though doubtfully.
The events were just getting weirder and weirder.

And worse.

"Just where are you going? You usually weren't the one who leads the way."
"I am now," said Eruka as she looked back for a short time.

With the Magic Eye or not, Free swore that something was different with the witch.
Besides the fact that her eyes flashed white for a second…
There was her grin that seemed to have been pasted on her face.

"Where are you going?"
"Ask me that again and I'll tell you."

Free raised an eyebrow.
"Where are you going?" he repeated.

"Free, stupid as always…"
"What is wrong with you? You got a power that you can't control or something?"

For a moment, rough steps on the ground were the only sounds heard.
Free wasn't sure whether to be patient anymore.

"I sense someone," she said, not actually answering his question.
"So, what's with that someone?" he asked, leaving his questions behind.

"Someone that pisses me off."
"Namely?"

She jumped from the elevated land for some reason.
She went out of view.

"Hey," Free called as he ran. "You know that someone, right?"

"Indeed. Talk about your death wishes, please."

"Death wishes?"
Free reached the tip of the elevated land and looked down.
Looked down to see three figures.
All were familiar.

.

"I know you!" Crona exclaimed as the stranger landed from above a few feet away from him.

"I know you, too!" the stranger's hands formed a circle.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Crona muttered nervously, especially at the sight of a big grin.

Violet energy appeared on the hands, forming a ball.
The said figure seemed to shake violently as if keeping a creature inside.

"Crona, defend!" Maka screamed from her weapon form.
"Wha-?"

The stranger seemed to be chanting something.
"That's the witch's language!" Maka shouted.

"I know she's a witch…" Crona replied weakly.
"You know?! Crona, we got to get away from here now! She's the culprit of the problem! Believe me!"

"Geko."
The stranger pushed her hands to the two of them.
The hands never reached them.
But the ball of energy was quickly advancing to them.

"Crona!"
Maka transformed to a human and exposed her back to the energy.
"Maka!"
Crona held her waist and forced her around.
"No, you ca-" Maka failed to complete the statement.

"Fools," the stranger muttered. "Instead of dodging, you made some senseless argument."

The ball of energy had reached them.
It separated into two…

And entered their bodies.
The two fell to the ground, instantly unconscious.

.

Free saw Eruka release a ball of energy to the two familiar faces.
Too late.

He wouldn't be able to do anything.
For he had a feeling that he should help someone…
Anyone from the three.

He saw the ball of energy split into two and vanish as they entered two bodies, that dropped to the ground, lifeless as a toy.

He jumped down to the land and neared the group.
"Eruka. What did you do?" he asked, rather roughly.

Instead of looking back at him, Eruka knelt to the ground heavily.
Her hair and dress followed slowly.
And her head turned down.

"Eruka?"
Free came to her cautiously.
"What happened?"
A little bit of worry was coming out with his voice.

"Did your powers backfire or something?"
"Hey, answer me."

He touched the shoulder of the witch and flinched badly.
There was like electricity that very quickly went around his nervous system.

"What the…"
Free shook himself.
"Eruka?"

Now that he knew he wouldn't be able to touch her…
He didn't know what to do.

"Man, this is frustrating. You're getting all weird," he muttered to himself.

Then his senses alerted him of presences.
A lot of people were coming to them.

And when he looked around, he knew they were people who were approaching to fight him.
He had always hated Shibusen, even the students.

"Man, this is frustrating!" he repeated as he adjusted himself for doing magic.

He looked once more at Eruka and the other two.
He spread his arms and smiled as he did something familiar.

It was his spatial magic.
He was forming a magic box.
And the casting location was…

Around them.

He was forming one so that no one would be able to fight them.
At least, for a while.
Eruka would have to wake up already.

It was the Independent Cube, all right.
Even he was feeling the space being distorted.

And he was just materializing a magic key…
He focused intently on the process.

And with a little hesitation, he locked the cube.
And the four of them was left inside. With nothing to see but space.

Then suddenly, the ground shook.
"What is happening…" he found himself muttering.
That had never happened before.

Perhaps, something was mis-
"Eruka!"

He realized that the last time he had performed the magic, there had been some assistance.
Subtraction Magic.
Magic Calculation.
Now, there was none.

The ground was shaking.
He felt it…
The cube was moving.

To where?

Plus…

The cube was shrinking.
Shrinking…

It was getting smaller than a normal bedroom.
It looked like just one bed would fit.

The unconscious occupants were being pushed closer to each other.
He didn't know what to do.

The place kept getting smaller…
Then it stopped.

The size was…
Bad.
The others were leaning on him like he was a tree.

He raised an eyebrow.
Now, he could touch everyone.
But they were so compressed.

He wouldn't be able to move from his lying position.

He was starting to feel…
Claustrophobis, perhaps.

Did he really have to wait for time to pass?
In the awkward position?
Doing nothing?

He had been imprisoned for a number of years.
Waiting inside the cube, it kind of felt like those years for him.

Then Free wondered…
"What has she done?"

- . - . - . - . –

"I sense a witch's presence. We have to hurry!"
"We would have hurried away already if it weren't for your senseless complains."

Kid instantly cried at Black Star's words.
"But the picture frame! A stray cat entered the house this morning. It could have moved the frame! I got to make sure!

"Kid, Maka and Crona are likely in trouble!" Liz said.
"Kid, no cat could enter the house," Patty followed. "Or at least, no cat leaves the house without a scratch Ehehehe."

Kid knelt and shook his head. "This will not do! Please! Please let me return!"

"Kid, whenever you cry like a kid, you're losing symmetry," Black Star pointed out.
"Wha-" Kid quickly shifted his body but still knelt.
"Now, the picture frame! Let me return, please?"

Liz and Patty just decided to drag him, disregarding his cries.
Black Star whistled as he walked.
Tsubaki sighed, "I thought we were in a hurry."

"I wanna hurry home!" they heard Kid scream.

Black Star punched Kid on the head.
Kid fell face-first to the ground.

Everyone else gasped.
"Hoy!"
"Black Star!"
"Ehehehe."

Black Star smiled as he turned the body of Kid around.
Everyone saw the bloody nose.

"Why did you do that?" Tsubaki asked.
"Idiot!" Liz shouted. "We are on a mission!"

"Kid's ready." Black Star shrugged. "Kid." He shook Shinigami's son.

"Ughh…" Kid scratched his head with his two hands.
"What happened?"
Black Star's smile turned into a grin as he said, "A witch with a tattoo on her right arm attacked us."

"What?!" Kid immediately stood up. "Just the right arm, you say? Where did she go?!"
"Just the right arm," Black Star repeated in agreement. "She went that way." He pointed a finger.

"I sense the witch there! Indeed!" Kid raised a hand and made a skateboard out of thin air.
"Liz, Patty. Weapon form."
"Aye!" the two chorused.

Kid deftly caught his weapons and rode the skateboard.

"Kid, you wanna look like a vampire or a Shinigami?"

Kid stopped and looked at Black Star, completely puzzled at the strange question.
"Wha-what do you mean?"

Black Star reached Kid. "Your collar."

"Huh?"

"Stay still." Black Star touched his shirt and fixed its collar. "There. Good thing Tsubaki teaches me things."

"Oh." Kid smiled a little.
"May I ask why you were so kind?"

"If you want to be a Shinigami, you'd have to make sure everything's perfect, starting from yourself."

"Is it all about symmetry?"

"Never mind that. Let's see to Maka and Crona now."
And Black Star proceeded ahead, Tsubaki currently a short blade.

"Wait, let's stick together!" Kid quickly moved with his skateboard.

"If sticking together is what you want, ya gotta follow me already!" Black Star screamed back.

.

"I think I know what that cube is," Liz muttered.
"Oooh… It's perfect and has the same measurement for each side!" Kid commented.
"But, it's small," Tsubaki said weakly.
"Tsubaki has a point. They wouldn't fit there." Black Star frowned.

"I sense five souls inside," Kid informed.
Black Star narrowed his eyes. "Five? That makes it more unlikely."

Everyone else nodded slowly.

"But I trust my perception, my feelings. Besides, Black Star, you do not have strong senses."
"You don't need other senses if all you can sense is your triumph!"

"Pointless," Kid uttered.

They went near the cube.
Its size was like 1/4 of an elevator.
"Five souls, huh?" Liz mused aloud. "That wouldn't be comfortable."

At closer look, they saw that the surface seemed to be shaking with energy.
"It's magic," Kid stated. "I think this is similar to the one made by the enemy on Shibusen's foundation party some time ago."

"So that's why it is familiar…" Liz grunted to herself.

"Black Star can you destroy the cube?" Kid asked.
"I'll try." Black Star turned to his weapon. "Tsubaki, Demon Blade mode!"

Black Star adjusted to the long black sword.
Figures began to mark his face.
And he charged at the cube.

One strike was delivered and Black Star said, "This cube is tough! Oy, Kid! Aren't ya going to help me?"

"Ahh…"

"Kid?" Black Star looked back.

"But… I don't wanna… It's a cube, you know… I won't shoot." Kid looked down.

"Kid! Unbelievable!" Black Star exhaled in disbelief.
Kid's weapons had to agree among themselves.

"Kid, give me Patty!" Liz transformed back to being human.
Kid lifelessly gave the gun to her.

"OK! Black Star, I will help you."
Liz raised the gun and fired at the cube.
"Did you notice any effects?" she asked.

"Who cares about that? I'll just slash and attack!" Black Star yelled at the cube.
"Fool…" But Liz fired some more anyway.

Kid seemed to be muttering prayers to himself.
"…"

"Just don't leave a scratch. It's a perfect cube. Please."

~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~

The end of this chapter.

Was the turn of events sudden or quick?
Or is it good that I've changed my pace?
Maybe it's just plain weird. Forgive me...
*sigh*

Please leave a comment/review and follow/ favorite if you want to!
All the support is appreciated! =)

- Da Newbie
Soul Eater is not mentioned/ did not make an appearance in this chapter.
You'll see why.